WEBVTT

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 Father in heaven, we thank you for this wonderful declaration given by heavenly hosts,

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 not given to kings or dignitaries, but to lowly shepherds.

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 Lord, we thank you that you remember the lowest among us.

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 And if we're honest, because of the sin and the brokenness in our own lives,

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 we are amongst the lowest.

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 And yet you have come to us.

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 Lord, we thank you for the gift that is the incarnation.

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 We pray that you would help us to understand in a deeper way the beauty that is Christ coming to us,

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 being born of a virgin, living and dying, and then rising again.

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 And we pray all this in Christ's name. Amen.

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 We'll be looking at Luke chapter 2.

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 So if you have a Bible, please turn with me to Luke chapter 2.

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 I think there's a few more still at the back welcome table.

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 You can grab one at any time.

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 At Christmas, we reflect on Christ's humility, and rightfully so.

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 The doctrine of the incarnation represents God's condescension or God's humility in becoming a man.

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 He takes on human flesh, fully man and fully God.

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 So we can think of certain verses or chapters in the Bible like Philippians chapter 2 or 2 Corinthians chapter 8 or Hebrews 12.

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 All of these portions of Scripture speak to God the Son humbling himself, becoming poor and suffering by his own will.

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 God becoming man, lying in a feeding trough, being a laborer, walking great distances, breathing in Judean dust,

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 walking dirty roads, breathing, all sorts of smells,

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 going hungry, braving choppy Galilean waters, battling crowds,

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 struggling with naysayers, being misunderstood, doubted by his friends and family,

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 being hung on a Roman cross, being treated as a political pawn by a less than noble Roman governor.

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 Jesus was God, the Son of God, with fully man and fully God on earth.

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 He was humbled.

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 The incarnation begins in Bethlehem, and it was indeed a humble one.

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 God became man.

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 God became poor.

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 God became vulnerable.

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 God became humble.

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 But why did this have to come to pass?

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 Why did redemption have to come about this way?

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 I mean, surely God being all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect in every way,

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 could have found another way for us to be redeemed and ransomed and made right.

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 But why did it have to be with God humbling himself, taking on in himself human flesh?

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 Why did this have to be?

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 The incarnation, which is what Christmas is all about,

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 it is a key doctrine to the Christian faith.

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 It is orthodoxy.

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 And what it isn't is a nice thing to think about one time a year,

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 but it is something that has to be real.

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 It has to be core.

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 It has to be a part of what we'd understand as closed-fisted, non-negotiable.

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 We have to believe it.

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 This is the only way that mankind could be redeemed.

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 So if we ask the question, why did it have to be this way?

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 I think we will take a look at our text, Luke 2, verses 8 and following,

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 and we'll see that this is actually the only way,

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 and because it's the only way, it is the best way that we could be redeemed.

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 Before we get into it, this section here,

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 it's a remarkable portion of the nativity narrative.

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 It draws our attention to the newborn Christ,

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 but specifically from the perspective of these shepherds.

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 Now, I mentioned in my prayer that these shepherds were lowly.

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 You'd think, well, hold on a second.

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 King David is a shepherd.

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 We think about Psalm 23.

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 Shepherds seem to be held in high esteem,

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 but by the time we get to the first century,

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 the nobility of this job, this vocation,

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 it really diminished.

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 Shepherds, they were not looked at with fondness,

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 but with suspicion.

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 So it is remarkable that angels come and declare the good news,

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 again, not to dignitaries, not to governors,

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 not to Caesars, but to lowly shepherds.

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 It's a remarkable thing.

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 And actually, it will help us to understand a bit more about the incarnation.

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 So it's important to consider a few things about angels,

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 because we're going to be looking at angels in our text today.

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 Angels play a key part throughout the Hebrew Bible,

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 or the Old Testament, as we call it.

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 Many of the key moments in the history of God's people, Israel,

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 they were directed through angelic oversight.

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 They are messengers, they're warriors,

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 and they serve at God's command.

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 They visit mankind from heaven,

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 and they return there after completing their task.

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 Unsurprisingly, then,

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 angels will play a key role in the nativity narrative.

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 They appear to Joseph, to Mary, to Zechariah,

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 the father of John the Baptist,

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 and then these unnamed shepherds.

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 From my survey, six or maybe seven instances

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 within Matthew and Luke

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 where angels are appearing in the nativity narrative.

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 They play a key, key part.

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 And of course they do,

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 because this is a key part of the history of God's people.

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 But there's a huge difference with this angelic appearance

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 to the shepherds

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 compared to how angels appeared throughout the Old Testament.

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 So after the initial angel appears,

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 saying good news, he's a messenger,

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 okay, that's in keeping with the Old Testament examples.

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 What happens next is a host of angels show up,

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 and they sing the Lord's praises.

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 And this is remarkable,

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 because nowhere else in the Bible,

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 nowhere else in the Bible,

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 do angels sing on earth.

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 They don't proclaim God's goodness,

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 singing on earth as they normally do in heaven.

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 You think about in heaven,

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 your mind might go to Isaiah chapter 6,

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 might go into portions of Revelation chapter 3 and 4,

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 but nowhere in the Bible on earth

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 do we see angels singing God's praises,

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 except for Luke chapter 2.

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 So what's going on here?

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 I'm going to read this section one more time,

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 not all the way down to verse 21,

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 but just to verse 15.

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 And in the same region,

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 there were shepherds out in the field,

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 keeping watch over their flock by night.

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 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them,

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 and the glory of the Lord shone around them,

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 and they were filled with fear.

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 And the angel said to them,

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 Fear not, for behold,

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 I bring you good news of great joy,

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 that will be for all the people.

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 For unto you is born this day in the city of David

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 a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

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 And this will be a sign for you.

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 You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths

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 and lying in a manger.

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 And suddenly, here it is, verse 13,

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 there was with the angel

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 a multitude of the heavenly hosts,

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 praising God and saying,

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 Glory to God in the highest,

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 and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.

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 When the angels went away from them into heaven,

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 the shepherds said to one another,

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 Let us go to Bethlehem

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 and see this thing that has happened,

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 which the Lord has made known to us.

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 Nowhere else in the Bible

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 do we see angels singing on earth.

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 So what does this singing mean?

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 Will this help us to answer the question

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 about the necessity of the incarnation for salvation?

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 So briefly, let's consider two things.

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 The first, angels are found in God's presence.

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 They surround him.

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 They're like his entourage, so to speak.

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 They do his bidding.

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 Like I mentioned, they're messengers.

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 They're warriors.

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 They are pure.

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 They're without sin.

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 They perfectly serve God.

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 They are people,

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 they're beings that guard,

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 that direct,

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 that encourage,

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 that give news.

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 They herald, literally.

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 They are messengers.

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 They do what God does,

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 and therefore,

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 where God is,

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 angels will be.

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 The second thing to consider,

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 mankind, unlike angels,

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 do not dwell,

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 we do not dwell in heaven.

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 We dwell here on earth.

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 It may seem obvious,

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 but there's a chasm between heaven and earth,

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 and it's a chasm that can't be transcended.

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 We can't cross that chasm.

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 The earth is the temporal and finite realm,

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 and heaven is the eternal and perfect realm,

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 and these two things do not mix.

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 And so, just on an aside,

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 it's really hard for us to understand these things,

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 because we have a very 2D understanding

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 of how reality works as modern people.

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 As modern people,

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 whatever we see,

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 whatever we can measure,

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 whatever we can touch,

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 whatever we can quantify,

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 that's what exists,

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 but when we talk about metaphysical things

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 or unseen realms,

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 it seems a bit far-fetched,

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 things of fantasy.

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 It's hard for us to understand such things

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 and to even conceptualize it,

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 let alone believe it.

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 But the ancients knew about this

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 and believed it.

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 They knew that humans were frustrated

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 by their inability to dwell

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 with the eternal divinity,

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 whether they called it

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 the God of the Bible,

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 Yahweh,

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 or some other idea of God.

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 A chasm existed between us and Him.

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 So the angelic choir in Luke 2,

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 they are singing on earth,

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 and it shows us

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 that this chasm has been breached,

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 or has been breached,

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 that heaven is invading earth,

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 it's breaking into the realm of earth.

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 Remember, angels only come to earth

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 to complete a divinely given task.

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 They don't spend time on earth

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 doing what they only do in heaven

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 in the presence of God.

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 And yet, here they are

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 doing a heavenly thing on earth.

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 It's a remarkable thing to consider.

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 The angels worship on earth

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 as in heaven.

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 Why?

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 Because God, the Son of God,

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 has taken upon Himself human flesh.

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 He is born in the city of David

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 to the Virgin Mary.

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 His name is Jesus.

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 Jesus, truly man and truly God,

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 the presence of God

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 now dwells on earth.

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 So on one hand,

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 we can talk,

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 and it's right to talk about

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 the humility of God,

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 the condescension of God

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 to come to earth.

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 It's right to talk about

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 Philippians chapter 2

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 or 2 Corinthians 8

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 or, what did I say,

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 Hebrews chapter 2 as well.

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 Hebrews chapter 12.

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 It's right to talk about

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 these things.

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 But it's also right

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 to consider that

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 the majesty of heaven

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 has broken into earth.

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 And angels are recognizing

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 what has happened

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 and they cannot but help

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 to do on earth

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 what they do in heaven.

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 That is,

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 sing in the presence of God.

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 The incarnation is nothing less

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 than heaven coming to earth.

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 This is what we consider

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 later on in the Gospels,

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 Jesus, when he is teaching

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 his disciples to pray

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 and us as well,

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 he prays,

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 your will be done on earth

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 as it is in heaven.

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 All of a sudden,

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 we understand this is not

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 just Jesus saying,

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 hey, heaven's great.

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 Let's try to copy

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 good things

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 and do good acts.

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 What he is doing

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 when he is teaching

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 his disciples to pray,

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 it's much more than

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 just a thumbs up to heaven.

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 It is an acknowledgement

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 of the ongoing act

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 that began with the incarnation,

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 that heaven is breaking

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 into earth.

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 The chasm has been traversed

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 and that the culture of heaven

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 will begin,

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 in a sense,

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 to colonize the culture

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 of earth.

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 Just wrap it up with this.

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 The pinnacle of this

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 inbreaking of heaven

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 is the restoration

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 and the redemption

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 of mankind.

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 And this brings us back

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 to why the incarnation.

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 To redeem us

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 and make us heavenly,

00:13:20.779 --> 00:13:21.820
 mankind's sin

00:13:21.820 --> 00:13:23.120
 and brokenness,

00:13:23.320 --> 00:13:24.720
 it had to be atoned for.

00:13:25.340 --> 00:13:26.519
 In God's economy,

00:13:27.059 --> 00:13:28.039
 he is perfect,

00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:28.720
 we are not.

00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:30.759
 He can only have perfection

00:13:30.759 --> 00:13:31.779
 in his presence,

00:13:32.019 --> 00:13:33.519
 in relationship to him,

00:13:33.720 --> 00:13:34.340
 we are not.

00:13:35.139 --> 00:13:36.220
 So in God's economy,

00:13:36.420 --> 00:13:37.560
 this could only be done

00:13:37.560 --> 00:13:39.820
 through a perfect human offering,

00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:41.759
 a perfect sacrifice

00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:42.480
 of atonement

00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:43.200
 to satisfy

00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:45.080
 the perfect justice

00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:46.560
 of a perfect God.

00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:47.639
 And you see

00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:49.279
 the problem with that

00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:50.040
 if you consider

00:13:50.040 --> 00:13:50.680
 that mankind

00:13:50.680 --> 00:13:52.139
 is broken

00:13:52.139 --> 00:13:53.920
 and sinful.

00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:56.719
 Therefore,

00:13:56.919 --> 00:13:57.259
 God

00:13:57.259 --> 00:13:58.339
 became

00:13:58.339 --> 00:13:59.360
 what he was not

00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:01.179
 to make us

00:14:01.179 --> 00:14:02.099
 by grace

00:14:02.099 --> 00:14:03.159
 what he is

00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:04.000
 and that is heavenly.

00:14:06.039 --> 00:14:06.519
 So then

00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:07.479
 it is no

00:14:07.479 --> 00:14:08.979
 small thing

00:14:08.979 --> 00:14:10.179
 that the Lord

00:14:10.179 --> 00:14:11.659
 spoke of the incarnation

00:14:11.659 --> 00:14:13.120
 some 700 years

00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:13.919
 before Christmas

00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:15.579
 and he says

00:14:15.579 --> 00:14:17.059
 of the child

00:14:17.059 --> 00:14:17.659
 to be born

00:14:17.659 --> 00:14:18.199
 of the virgin,

00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:19.019
 his name will be

00:14:19.019 --> 00:14:19.539
 Emmanuel,

00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:21.259
 God with us.

00:14:21.259 --> 00:14:24.039
 for that is

00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:24.819
 who Christ is.

00:14:25.319 --> 00:14:25.879
 He is God

00:14:25.879 --> 00:14:26.379
 with us.

00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:28.620
 We cannot hope

00:14:28.620 --> 00:14:29.439
 to be with God

00:14:29.439 --> 00:14:30.080
 unless God

00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:31.460
 first comes

00:14:31.460 --> 00:14:32.340
 to be

00:14:32.340 --> 00:14:33.039
 with us.

00:14:33.879 --> 00:14:34.720
 And it took

00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:35.720
 no less than this

00:14:35.720 --> 00:14:36.460
 to redeem us

00:14:36.460 --> 00:14:37.059
 and to make us

00:14:37.059 --> 00:14:37.819
 heavenly like him.

00:14:38.860 --> 00:14:39.580
 Let us pray.

00:14:41.379 --> 00:14:42.179
 Heavenly Father,

00:14:42.259 --> 00:14:42.679
 we thank you

00:14:42.679 --> 00:14:43.340
 for the incarnation.

00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:44.759
 We thank you

00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:45.460
 that it was

00:14:45.460 --> 00:14:46.539
 the only way

00:14:46.539 --> 00:14:47.100
 and the most

00:14:47.100 --> 00:14:47.819
 beautiful way

00:14:47.820 --> 00:14:49.300
 that you

00:14:49.300 --> 00:14:49.680
 could have

00:14:49.680 --> 00:14:50.879
 redeemed us,

00:14:51.160 --> 00:14:52.260
 that heaven

00:14:52.260 --> 00:14:52.620
 could have

00:14:52.620 --> 00:14:53.280
 come to earth,

00:14:53.340 --> 00:14:54.140
 that we could

00:14:54.140 --> 00:14:55.160
 be made like you,

00:14:55.320 --> 00:14:55.680
 righteous,

00:14:55.960 --> 00:14:56.260
 heavenly.

00:14:57.440 --> 00:14:57.740
 Lord,

00:14:57.820 --> 00:14:58.440
 no amount

00:14:58.440 --> 00:15:00.340
 of good works,

00:15:00.800 --> 00:15:01.760
 strong will,

00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:04.800
 human ingenuity

00:15:04.800 --> 00:15:05.540
 could ever

00:15:05.540 --> 00:15:07.000
 breach

00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:08.300
 or help us

00:15:08.300 --> 00:15:08.780
 to cross

00:15:08.780 --> 00:15:09.420
 rather that

00:15:09.420 --> 00:15:10.040
 chasm

00:15:10.040 --> 00:15:10.500
 between

00:15:10.500 --> 00:15:12.160
 earth and heaven.

00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:13.320
 But Lord,

00:15:13.380 --> 00:15:14.620
 only in the incarnation

00:15:14.620 --> 00:15:15.460
 could heaven

00:15:15.460 --> 00:15:17.180
 break into earth.

00:15:17.179 --> 00:15:17.479
 And Lord,

00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:18.259
 we thank you

00:15:18.259 --> 00:15:18.539
 for that.

00:15:18.599 --> 00:15:19.279
 We pray that you

00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:19.739
 would help us

00:15:19.739 --> 00:15:20.319
 to understand

00:15:20.319 --> 00:15:20.939
 the incarnation

00:15:20.939 --> 00:15:23.019
 in greater depths.

00:15:23.859 --> 00:15:24.459
 And Lord,

00:15:24.539 --> 00:15:25.179
 as a result,

00:15:25.319 --> 00:15:25.439
 Lord,

00:15:25.500 --> 00:15:26.179
 help us to

00:15:26.179 --> 00:15:27.379
 praise you,

00:15:28.059 --> 00:15:29.639
 to magnify your name,

00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:30.679
 to live in

00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:31.679
 a healthy

00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:33.519
 reality

00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:34.199
 of fear

00:15:34.199 --> 00:15:34.719
 and trembling

00:15:34.719 --> 00:15:35.279
 and yet

00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:36.639
 joy and thanksgiving.

00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:38.219
 We pray all of this

00:15:38.219 --> 00:15:39.139
 in Christ's mighty name.

00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:40.159
 Amen.